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Moorlach Ducks Out of Congressional Bid

by • March 11, 2014

OC Supervisor John Moorlach – Photo: Chris Prevatt

On Monday, Second District Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach announced that he was dropping his bid for the 45th Congressional seat being vacated by retiring Congressman John Campbell. It was a long shot to begin with, given the huge fundraising advantage the State Senator Mimi Walters had in fundraising. It was not of course as deep an achievement hole to climb out of as his earlier thought that running for Governor was a good idea. Moorlach dropped that bid in June last year after his exploration determined that he could not find the necessary support for the bid.

Chicken Little John Moorlach

In the case of the 45th Congressional seat, Moorlach faced similar challenge as the race for Governor; not the least of which was whether he could raise the necessary amount of cash to make the run viable. In an interview with the Orange County Register Moorlach said:

“I felt I could not back off from the duties at the office,” he said. “I looked at my fundraising numbers and thought, ‘I’m not achieving my goals.’ … Being a candidate is 24/7,” he said, reflecting on the short-lived campaign.

According to the latest Federal Election Commission reports Moorlach raised $46,313 in the fourth quarter of 2013 and had $36,694.65 cash on hand at the start of the new year. In contrasting that with Senator Mimi Walters fundraising of $623,755.79 in total funds raised and $424,250.18 in the bank, we tend to agree with Moorlach’s assessment.

But with his departure from the Congressional contest, there is a contest that he might yet consider. Auditor-Controller Jan Grimes failed to file to run for the position she was appointed to in April 2013 after the departure of former Auditor-Controller David Sundstrom. Former Orange County Register reporter Andrew Galvin speculated on this option back when Moorlach announced the end of his listening tour for the Governor’s race. We wrote back then:

Unfortunately it is likely that we could have Moorlach to kick around for some time to come. Galvin reports that Moorlach is still considering a run for Auditor-Controller. Maybe that has something to do with his support for Jan Grimes as the appointee for that position. During the selection process Grimes indicated that she was unlikely to run for the elected seat in 2014.

Moorlach could also consider running for the Assembly seat left without an incumbent candidate with Assemblyman Mansoor’s decision to run for Moorlach’s Supervisor seat. Moorlach has until 5 pm Wednesday, March 12th to decide what, if any, of these two seats he wants to run for.

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7 comments for “Moorlach Ducks Out of Congressional Bid”

I’m sure Moorlach wrote all that with a straight face realizing his idiot followers would suck it down like Skittles.

The reality is that Moorlach can’t compete against a real candidate. The last time he had one of those was when he ran against Bob Citron and got his ass kicked.

I’m not fan of the GOP in OC, but after watching Walters destroy a sitting Supervisor Chair (when she was a city councilmember) and a very well funded opponent in her first senate bid, it was obvious to me Moorlach was going to be another trophy in the Walters’ den.

Moorlach claims his obligations as supervisor prevented him from running a proper campaign. Interesting that both one of his colleagues and his erstwhile opponent are doing just that. It only shows that he knows his hypocrisy will only work in the narrow confines of his district. The vacated Assembly seat is a perfect fit for him. The GOP needs more people like him in Sacramento.

Dan Chmielewski

March 11, 2014 at 9:33 am

well, Mr. Moorlach can always start collecting on his many government pensions.

And there is always the private sector

Robert Lauten

March 11, 2014 at 9:40 am

“The reality is that Moorlach can’t compete against a real candidate. The last time he had one of those was when he ran against Bob Citron and got his ass kicked.”
The insanity just doesn’t end.
The Democrat OC Treasurer Bob Citron bankrupted OC in 1994 when his highly leveraged bets on the movement of interest rates went south. When Citron was winning his Wall Street bets he was the conservative’s, free market, free speculation idol. Citron’s winnings allowed to Board of Supervisors to not raise taxes or cut spending. It was a perfect world until the bankruptcy.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 73, ACR 73, calls for Congress to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act 1933-1999 and end the Wall Street gambling. ACR 73 only has 2 sponsors, – but this is California.

RHackett

March 11, 2014 at 11:25 am

Robert,

You proved my point better than I could have imagined. Moorlach couldn’t even beat a boob like Citron. Imagine what a good candidate like Walters was going to do to him. It would have been the proverbial train wreck scenario. You know it’s going to be ugly but you can’t not look away.

Dan hits the nail on the head. Moorlach constantly bleats about the high cost of employee pensions and his moron followers stare at him like some sort of demigod. Meanwhile he is going to collect one of the largest pension benefits for a public official in the history of the County.

Moorlach is best described as what a stupid person thinks a smart person sounds like.

Dan also states the private sector is an option. Who is going to hire him? To do what? Talk a lot? Oppose everything? Give advice on how to fool people that you actually care about them?

He would be better off going to the State Assembly for 12 years. He would be able to be paid by the State of California and collect his pensions at the same time. It would be one of the easiest jobs in the world. Show up, push the button and vote “No” on everything and claim you’re fighting the good fight. Just like his real life doppelganger Tom McClintock. Who also claims to hate government and taxes while living off the taxpayer his entire adult life. Tom would probably still be there were it not for term limits.

No leadership or vision required. Given that a state legislator makes about $150,000/yr with all the per diems included, it would be the easiest $1.8 million Moorlach has ever made during the 12 years of his so called “public service.”

OC Insider

March 11, 2014 at 1:25 pm

The more interesting question now is will Honest John return the contributions he took.

Robert Lauten

March 11, 2014 at 1:46 pm

RHackett,

You miss the point.
The voters loved the OC Treasurer Bob Citron because he was winning his bets which won high rates of return on OC’s money.
Supervisor Moorlach warned OC that the Wall Street speculation was highly leverage and risky.
Because of his warnings Moorlach got the title of “Chicken Little” – ‘The Sky Is Falling’, (see the cartoon insert picture).
In 1994 the sky fell, (the bankruptcy).
John Moorlach’s custom car license plate now reads: “SKY FELL”.